His Eyes
by Full Moon Ballad
Summary: A good guardian knows when to fight and when to run. But it's so unbearably hard to decide.


**A/N: Yet another VA one shot. I guess you could consider this a companion piece to Turning. Not really connected, but close enough. Yes, this is probably the crappiest (and shortest) thing I've ever written in my life, but I was depressed and bored and trust me, that is a horrible combination for me. Plus, I need to work on the depressing elements of literature. So yeah, enjoy my trashy attempt at a story. FYI, this is Rose's point of view. Oh, yeah I should probably say that there are Blood Promise spoilers too. I repeat, BLOOD PROMISE SPOILERS!**

**O.o.O**

_"Being a good guardian means knowing when to fight and when to run."_

Dimitri's words floated through my mind, a distant echo of the past. Easier said than done, I thought bitterly. Much easier than when you're actually faced with the decision.

Now, not twenty yards bellow me from my perch on a gnarled tree, stood the potential consequence of my decision. My mentor's now-soulless body. The body I had purposely set out to extract from this world. After weeks of searching, I had managed to track Dimitri to a small forest on the outskirts of Novosibirsk. It was no more than a bolt of trees and a couple shrubs, but it was better than me attacking him in the city and making a scene.

After my interrogations of Strigoi back in the city, I had pinpointed Dimitri's probable area of hunting. Which led me to this lone outcropping of vegetation. Surprisingly, it had been fairly easy. Strigoi-Dimitri was much more careless than dhampir-Dimitri. But then again, why shouldn't he be? He had nothing to fear here. Caution could be thrown to the wind when you claimed the highest notch on the food chain, I supposed.

Dimitri's solid footsteps crunched through the fallen leaves on the ground, pulling me out of my daze. Shaking myself from my previous thoughts, I tried to focus on the here-and-now of my mission. I felt my heart begin to pick up its pace, my sweaty palms grasping the stake at my side. I swallowed hard, a bead of sweat running down my temple, a nervous flutter building in my stomach.

This was the part I had agonized over for weeks: the kill. I knew Dimitri was a Strigoi, cruel and heartless and evil. But that didn't mean I had stopped loving him. Didn't mean my memories of him had faded. Didn't mean my heart had stopped aching for him.

Hot tears pricked the corners of my eyes, which I quickly forced away. Now was not the time to act like a child. I hadn't come all this way to lose my cool. I had to tell myself that Dimitri would have wanted it this way.

I gripped the stake more firmly, waiting for the right moment to strike. He seemed to be in no hurry, just loping through nature's debris with that graceful stride of his. Unwillingly, this small detail sent more memories of our time together seeping into my conscience. Dimitri comforting me after Mason's death; Dimitri and I arguing, teasing each other, laughing together. The night at the cabin, kissing, loving each other…

A strangled sob escaped my throat, and I just now remembered that I was sharing these woods with a monster. My eyes locked onto Dimitri's form. Had he heard me? Oh shit, of course he heard me! He whipped around with lightning speed, scarlet-rimmed eyes roving over the foliage I hid in. So much for a surprise attack.

I held my breath, praying he would overlook me. He looked straight at me at one point, so close I could have reached down to tap his shoulder, but eventually turned back and continued on. _Definitely _more careless…

Once he was out of sight, I released my breath in a giant _woosh_! Disgust rippled through me. How could I have let Dimitri get away so easily? I had traveled half way across the world, only to let a golden opportunity slip right through my fingers!

I looked at the stake clasped in my hand, picturing Dimitri's warm brown eyes. Picturing me thrusting the harsh cold metal into his heart and seeing the life leak out of those tender, gorgeous eyes. Eyes that had held all the love in the world for me. Eyes that had lit with amusement and pride when I had done something right.

More tears trickled down me face, streaking my cheeks with liquid despair. And I let them. I stopped fighting my grief and let it all pour out in one long session of anguish. Sobs racked through me, salty streams dribbling down my face and dripping onto the tree bark.

I wasn't ready. I couldn't do this. I couldn't kill Dimitri. There had to be another way; something else I could do.

Sniffling, I swiped the tears away, glancing at the spot I had last seen my love. I stood on the branch, wobbling a bit as I did and hopped to the ground, my feet landing lightly on pine needles. My blurry eyes gazed at the path Dimitri had taken. I could still follow him; I could still complete my mission.

_"Being a good guardian means knowing when to fight and when to run."_

With a sigh of resignation and a heavy, guilt-laden heart, I turned the other way. And I ran.

**O.o.O**

**Yep, there it is. Pretty pathetic, no? Review please, and let me know if I was successful at a dramatic/depressing story. I'd really like to know if I'm improving in my reader's eyes. Who knows, if you liked it, I may do a second chapter on what Dimitri was thinking. Tell me what you think!**


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